Protective pad and earphone support for safety helmets



P 0, 1957 w. s. FINKEN 2,805,419

PROTECTIVE PAD AND EARPHQNE SUPPORT FOR SAFETY HELMETS FiledAug. 12, 1953 5 Sheets-Sneet 1 A TEE/VB Sept. 10, 1957 w. s. FlNKEN 2,805,419

PROTECTIVE PAD AND EARPHONE SUPPORT FOR SAFETY HELMETS Filed Aug. l2, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Wm rm 5 fi/vgrE/v M OJMZ p 95 w. s. FlNKEN 2,805,419

PROTECTIVE FAD AND EARPHONE SUPPORT FOR SAFETY HELMETS Filed Aug. 12, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet s INVENTOR.

WAUFA 5 F//v/ /v Sept. 10, 1957 w. s. FINKEN 2,805,

PROTECTIVE PAD AND EARPHONE SUPPORT FOR SAFETY HELMETS Filed Aug. 12, 1953 I 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 1 Z7 INVZNTOR.

r M17159 5. F/NKE/V Z9 M vfikk Sept. 10, 1957 w. s. FINKEN 2,805,419

PROTECTIVE PAD AND EARPHONE SUPPORT FOR SAFETY HELMETS FiledAug. 12, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Emil In INVENTOR.

Mame 5. F/A/KEN A TIDE/V5) A United Walter S. Finken, Brooklyn, N. Y., assign-or to Leonard P. Frieder, Great Neck, N. Y.

Application August 12, 1953, Serial No. 373,795

9 Claims. c1. 2-s

This invention relates to safety helmets, and especially to earphone support and protective pad structure for use.

in connection with such helmets.

A currently popular and effective type of safety helmet includes a rigid helmet shell enclosing substantially all parts of the head of the wearer except his face. This shell is commonly supported on a rigging of headbands and headstraps which closely engage the head of the wearer, but are spaced from the helmet structure throughout most of their length. Since the headbands and headstraps are flexible, the rigid shell structures are free to move to a limited extent with respect to the head of the wearer.

It is sometimes desired to use earphones with such a helmet, as earphones are necessary in many occupations where such helmets are used. In such an arrangement, a serious problem is presented with regard to elimination of structural interference between the headband and headstrap elements on the one hand and the earphone and its supporting structure on the other hand. The headband elements commonly pass around the wearers head just above his ears, and the earphone supporting structure must be located in the general locality of the ears. Another problem arises in such arrangements, with regard to the prevention of transmission of mechanical shocks from the rigid shell to the head through the rigid earphone structure. Still another problem is presented in the case of a helmet which is worn sometimes with earphones and sometimes without. The removal of the earphones leaves an empty space which may allow the helmet shell too great a range of movement with respect to the head.

An object of the present invention is to provide a safety helmet having an improved earphone supporting structure.

Another object is to provide a safety helmet having improved pad arrangements for preventing the transmission of shocks to the wearers head. A further object is to provide such an improved pad arrangement which is adjustable as to position. A further object is to provide an improved pad arrangement which is adjustable as to thickness.

Another object is to provide an improved earphone support and protective pad structure. A further object is to provide such a structure which protects the earphone from mechanical shocks and which also protects the wearer from mechanical shocks transmitted through the earphone.

Another object of the invention is to provide a structure of the type described which is improved with respect to its compactness and with respect to the comfort of the wearer.

The foregoing and other objects are obtained by providing a helmet having a rigid shell structure and a headband arrangement including front and rear headband elements which engage the head closely at the front and rear thereof and which are spaced from the head in the locality of the ears, being preferably attached to the rigid shell in those localities.

Within this helmet, adjacent each ear of the wearer, there is mounted a combined pad and earphone support rates Fatent structure comprising a base which is attached to the shell and is adjustable in position with respect to the shell. This base supports an elliptically annular pad which encircles the wearers ear. The base also comprises a 'central portion within the annular pad and including means for supporting an earphone. A pad of adjustable thickness is located between the earphone and the helmet shell. This adjustable thickness pad comprises a flexible housing enclosing a stack of pad elements. The housing is provided with a suitable opening through which pad elements may be removed or added to change the thickness of the pad.

When it is desired to use the helmet without the earphones, a substitute pad structure is provided which takes up the space normally occupied by the earphones and which is adjustable as to position and thickness in the same manner as the earphone support structure.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following specification, taken together with the accompanying drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is a bottom plan View of a safety helmet embodying the invention, with certain parts omitted and others broken away;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the helmet of Fig. 1 taken on the line IIH of Fig. 1, but with the helmet right side up;

Fig. 3 is a lateral cross-sectional view of the helmet of Fig. 1, taken on the line III-III of Fig. l, with the helmet right side up;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line IV-IV of Fig. 1, with the helmet right side up;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary elevational view taken from the inside of the helmet of Fig. 1, showing the means for attaching the ends of the headband elements to the shell;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary elevational view of the structure shown in Fig. 5, taken from the outside of the helmet;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentaryelevational view taken from the inside of the helmet, showing the combined pad and earphone support structure;

Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken on line VIII-VIII of Fig. 7, on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 9 is an elevational view similar to Fig. 7, showing a pad structure which may be used in place of the combined earphone support and pad of Fig. 7;

Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken on line XX of Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a view similar to Fig. 10, showing a modified form of pad structure;

Fig. 12 is a bottom plan view of the pad structure shown in Fig. '11, on a smaller scale;

Fig. 13 is an elevational view of a dilferent type of helmet, employing an earphone support and pad structure similar to that shown in Figs. 7 and 8, and

Fig. 14 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line XIVXIV of Fig. 13, on a larger scale, showing the combined earphpne support and pad structure.

Figs 1 to 8 There is shown in the drawings a rigid helmet 1, preferably of a stiff plastic material. The shell 1 is adapted to be supported on the head of a wearer by means of a rigging which comprises a front headband element 2, a rear headband element 3, a longitudinal headstrap 4, a lateral headstrap 5, and two diagonal headstraps 6.

The longitudinal headstrap 4 is attached at its ends to the front and rear headband elements 2 and 3, for example, as by sewing, as shown in Fig. 2. The front and rear headband elements 2 and 3 are attached to the shell 1 at points intermedite their ends by means of loops 7 and 8 of flexible elastic material. The loops 7 are open from top to bottom. These loops 7 are sewed to the headband elements 2 and 3 and pass under plates 7a which are attached to the shell by means of rivets 7b. The plates 7a also hold in place additional plates 70 (Fig. 4), having apertures toreceive loops formed on the ends of the diagonal headstraps 6. The loops 8 have their open ends horizontal, and are attached to the front and rear headbands at the localities where those headbands are joined by the longitudinal headstrap 4.

The front headband element 2 is not adjustable'as to length. Its ends are provided with loops 2a (Fig. which extend through openings provided for that purpose in a plate 9 attached to the rigid shell 1. For example, this attachment may be made by rivets 10, as shown in the drawing.

The rear headband element 3 is provided at each of its ends with an adjusting mechanism including a band extension 3a which passes out through a first set of aligned holes 11a inthe. plate 9 and the shell 1, then inwardly through a second set of aligned holes 1112 and finally outwardly through a third set of aligned holes 110. On its outer end, the band extension 3a passes through a length adjusting slider 12, of conventional construction' A tab 13 is fastened to the slider 12 and carries a snap fastener 14 adapted to cooperate with another snap fastener 15 mounted on the shell 1. By

adjusting both ends of the rear headband element 3, the size of the headband arrangement may be changed to suit the wearer, while maintaining the centering of the helmet on the wearers head. Conversely, the. contering may be adjusted while maintaining the'size .ad justment.

Sponge rubber pads 16 are provided between the front and rear headband elements 2 and 3 and the rigid shell 1. A large sponge rubberpad 17 lines the inner surface of the crown of the shell 1.

Mounted on the sides of the helmet adjacent the ears of the wearer is a combined earphone support and pad structure best seen in Figs. 7 and 8. This structure includes a base 18 of molded plastic material, for example, rubber. The base 18 is preferably covered on its inner side by a layer of heavy fabric 18d, which may be and indeed preferably is rubber impregnated, and formed simultaneously with the molding of the base 18. The base 18 is provided with two extending tabs 19 (see Fig. 7). The

tabs 19 are provided with fabric covers 19a, and have elongated slots in which are inserted grommets 20. The grommets 20 are adapted to receive bolts 21 which cooperate with thumb nuts 22 by means of which the base 18 is adjustably clamped to the helmet. The bolts 21 are made with a diameter slightly smaller than the width of the slots in the grommets 28, so that this arrangement permits both vertical adjustment of the base 18 on the shell 1 and angular adjustment of the base with reference to the shell 1.

The base 18 is provided with wide shallow recess 18a, adapted to receive a pad 23 of flexible material, such as sponge rubber. The pad 23 is covered by a fabric 24, having an outer surface which is soft. The central portion of the base 13 is provided with a collar 1812 having a radially inwardly opening recess 18c adapted to receive an earphone 25. A web 26 of fabric material similar to the cover 24 is attached to thebase 18a and extends between the earphone 25 and the wearers ear. The .web 26 is provided with an aperture 26a, through which sound waves may pass;

When the helmet is in place on the wearers head, the pad 23 encircles the wearers ear. All the surfaces which may contact the wearers ear are soft fabric surfaces, thereby promoting the comfort of the wearer and preventing injury through abrasion.

The collar- 18b which supports the earphone 25 lies in a plane which is tilted with respect to the plane bisecting the elliptical pad 23 longitudinally, so that a greater swung away from the shell 1.

space is provided within the pad 23 for the upper and rearmost portions of the wearers car, than for the forward and lower portions of the ear. The earphone supporting pad structure is thereby adapted to conform more nearly to the usual contours of the human ear, and the structure is less oppressive to the wearer than the more conventional structures which may engage and even compress the larger parts of the ear.

It should be noted that the dimensions of the collar 1812 which supports the earphone 25 are so related to the dimensions of the recess 18a in the base 18 that the earphone 25 is located almost entirely Within the space encircled by the elliptically annular pad 23. This location of the earphones centrally within the pad prevents transmission of shocks from the shell through the earphones to the head Between the earphone 25 and the shell 1 there is located an adjustable thickness pad structure generally indicated by the reference numeral 27. This pad structure includes a flexible sleeve-shaped housing 28 which is fixed at its outer end to the shell 1, as by any suitable bonding agent, and has its inner end open. Within the sleeve 28 are three pad elements 29. By removing one of the nuts 22, the base 18 and the structures supported on it can be When this is done, the open end of the sleeve 28 is freely accessible and additional pads may beinserted within it, or some of the pads already there may be removed, so as to accommodate the space requirements of the wearers head.

The shell 1 is provided with a chin strap 30 (see Fig. 1) provided at each end with snap fasteners 31 adapted to engage corresponding snap fasteners 31a on shell 1.

When the hehnet is in place on the head of a wearer, the front and rear headband elements 2 and 3 cooperate to ensure longitudinal, i. e., fore-and-aft, stability of the helmet on the wearers head. If the adjustable thickness pad structures 37 have their thicknesses properly adjusted, then the annular pads 24 are held tightly against the wearers head about the ears, and the pads 24'and 27 cooperate to ensure lateral stability of the helmet on the wearers head.

Figs. 9 and 10 These figures illustrate a pad structure which may be used in place of the combined earphone support and pad shown in Figs. 7 and 8.

This pad structure comprisesa base 32 which is preferably formed of soft surfaced fabric or a soft leather substance such as calfskin or the like. The base 32 is provided with projecting tabs 32a having grommets 20 to it as by bonding. Between the base 32 and the shell 1 there is provided an adjustable thickness pad 27 whose structure is the same as the corresponding pad described in connection with Figs. 7 and 8.

In this arrangement, the pad is supported on a base 35 having a peripheral flange 35a. Mounted on the base 35 V is an elliptically annular sponge rubber pad 36. A flexible cover 37 encloses the pad 36 and is provided with an accordion fold 38 in its periphery. The lower side of the accordion fold is attached as by bonding to the flange 35a on the base 35. The cover 37 is also provided with a pair of projecting tabs 37a which carry grommets 20. The base 35 is provided with a slot 35b through which pad elements 39 may be inserted or removed from Within Figs. 13 and 14 These figures illustrate another form of helmet structure with which the combined earphone support and pad arrangement of Figs. 7 and 8 may be used. The helmet disclosed here is a so-called summer helmet or light duty helmet and is worn principally for the purpose of sup porting the earphones and other accessory apparatus which may be required, such as a microphone, an oxygen mask, or other apparatus. The earphone support and pad arrangement of these figures is substantially the same as that shown in Figs. 7 and 8. The same reference characters have been used in Figs. 13 and 14 as in Figs. 7 and 8 to indicate parts which are the same as those shown in Figs. 7 and 8. The only substantial difference in the earphone support and pad structure itself is that a flange 39 is provided extending around the entire periphery of and integral with the base 18 and suitable for attachment, as by sewing, to side panels 40 of the helmet, as shown in Fig. 13. The helmet of Fig. 13 is generally indicated by the reference numeral 41. The details of the construction of this helmet, other than the earphone support and pad structure, are completely described and claimed in the copending application of Jackson A. Aileo, Serial No. 382,048, filed September 24, 1953.

While I have shown and described certain preferred embodiments of my invention, other modifications thereof will readily occur to those skilled in the art and I therefore intend my invention to be limited only by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A combined protective helmet and earphone support, comprising a rigid helmet shell having ear covering portions, a supporting rigging attached to said shell and including front and rear headband elements, each having central portions spaced inwardly of the shell and respectively adapted to engage the front and rear portions of the head of a wearer and end portions attached to the shell adjacent said ear covering portions and connected to the central portions at points spaced from said ear covering portions, said headband elements ensuring longitudinal stability of the shell on the wearers head, a pair of pads, each having an elliptically annular pad portion and a central portion within said annular portion and adapted to support an earphone, means attaching said pads to the shell at localities adjacent said ear covering portions so that the peripheral portions will encircle the wearers ear when the helmet is placed on a wearers head while the central portions are aligned with the ears, and a pair of pads of adjustable thickness, one between each said central portion and the helmet shell, each said adjustable thickness pad comprising a stack of pad elements and a flexible housing enclosing said stack and apertured to permit addition of pad elements to and removal of pad elements from said stack, said pads cooperating to ensure lateral stability of the shell on the wearers head.

2. A protective helmet, comprising a rigid helmet shell having ear covering portions, a supporting rigging attached to said shell and including front and rear headband elements, each having central portions spaced inwardly of the shell and respectively adapted to engage the front and rear portions of the head of a wearer and end portions attached to the shell adjacent said ear covering portions and connected to the central portions at points spaced from said ear covering portion, said headband elements ensuring longitudinal stability of the shell on the wearers head, a pair of pads of adjustable thickness, one attached to the inside of each ear covering portion of the shell, each said adjustable thickness pad comprising a stack of pad elements and a flexible housing enclosing said stack and apertured to permit addition of pad elements to and removal of pad elements from said stack, and

, 6 means including said pads to ensure lateral stability of the shell on the wearers head. i

3. A protective helmet as defined in claim 2, in which said flexible housing has a peripheral accordion fold to accommodate variations in the thickness of the stack of pad elements. i

4. A protective helmet comprising a rigid helmet shell having ear covering portions, a pair of pads each including an elliptically annular pad portion and a web portion extending across the annular pad portion adjacent the outermost side thereof, said annular pad portion and said web portion cooperating to define an ear receiving recess, means supporting said pads on the inside of the respective ear covering portions of the helmet shell with said ear receiving recesses in position to receive a wearers ears when the helmet is placed on the wearers head, and a pair of pads of adjustable thickness, one between each web portion and the adjacent ear covering portion of the helmet shell, each said adjustable thickness pad comprising a stack of pad elements and a flexible housing enclosing said stack and apertured to permit addition of pad elements to and removal of pad elements from said stack, said pads cooperating when adjusted as to thickness to ensure a close fit of said annular pad against the wearers head and thereby to exclude sound from external sources from reaching the wearers ear.

5. A protective helmet as defined in claim 4, in which said pad supporting means comprises a flexible base sheet fixed to the pad and extending radially outwardly from the pad, grommeted slots in said sheet at substantially diametrically opposite localities thereof, and bolts having diameters smaller than the width of said slots fixed in said shell and receivable in said grommeted slots, and nuts threadedly engaging said bolts for clamping said sheet against said shell, said slots and bolts cooperating for adjustment of the pad position with respect to the shell.

6. A helmet as defined in claim 4, wherein each said web portion is tilted with respect to the plane bisecting its ellinticallv annular pad longitudinally, so as to provide greater space within the recess for the back and upper portions of the wearers car than for the front and lower portions thereof.

7. A protective helmet comprising a rigid helmet shell having ear covering portions, a pair of pads each including an elliptically annular pad portion and a web portion extending across the annular pad portion adjacent the outermost side thereof, said annular pad portion and said web portion cooperating to define an ear receiving recess,

means supporting said pads on the inside of the respective ear covering portions of the helmet shell with said ear receiving recesses in position to receive a wearers ears when the helmet is placed on the wearers head, said pad supporting means comprising a flexible base sheet fixed to the pad and extending radially outwardly from the pad, grommeted slots in said sheet at substantially diametrically opposite localities thereof, and bolts having diameters smaller than the width of said slots fixed in said shell and receivable in said grommeted slots, and nuts threadedly engaging said bolts for clamping said sheet against said shell, said slots and bolts cooperating for adjustment of the pad position with respect to the shell.

8. Ear protective apparatus comprising an elliptically annular pad, a web extending across said pad adjacent one side thereof, said annular pad and web cooperating to define an ear receiving recess, and means adapted to support said pad and web on a wearers head in position to receive the wearers ear in said recess, said web being tilted with respect to the plane bisecting the ellipitically annular pad longitudinally, so as to provide greater space Within the recess for the back and upper portions of the car than for the front and lower portions thereof.

9. Ear protective apparatus comprising an elliptically annular pad, a web extending across the pad adjacent one side thereof, said annular pad and web cooperating to 7 8 define an ear'receiving recess, and means adapted to sup- References Cited in the file of this patent port said pad and web ona wearers head with the side i V UNITED STATES, PATENTS j M V .t V v V 1 of the pad opposl e sa d one side 1n contactw th the head 1,396,771 Minton Hal-n7; ul- NOV. 1921 and encircling the wearers ear so that the ear is'received V in said recess, said web being tilted with respect to the 5 1456524 Waldmn May 1923 head-engaging side of the pad so that the upper end of 1616187 V i "'7 F 1927 the web i farther away from that side'of the pad than 1774325 7 Hart T g the lower end, and the rear part of the web -is farther 2410986 Mechur "f 1946 away from that side than the front part, so as to provide y g f fi greater, space within the recess for the back and upper 10 portions of the ear than for the front and lower portions thereof. 

